Historical Notes:
The Virginia 26th Infantry Regiment was organized during May and June, 1861, with men recruited in the counties of Gloucester, King and Queen, and Mathews. The 26th was assigned to General Wise's Brigade in June, 1862, contained 31 officers and 424 men. After being involved in the Seven Days' Battles it was transferred to the Department of South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. The unit participated in the defense of Charleston, then during the spring of 1864 returned to Virginia. Here it took its place in the Petersburg trenches and was active in various conflicts around Appomattox. Many were captured at Sayler's Creek and on April 9, 1865, there were 15 officers and 81 men present.
Officers:
Colonels Charles A. Crump and Powhatan R. Page; Lieutenant Colonel James C. Coucill; and Majors Patrick H. Fitzhugh, Joshua L. Garrett, William K. Perrin, and William H. Wheelwright.
Assignments: Battles:
Gloucester Point Seven Days' Battles Yorktown Deep Bottom Defenses of Charleston South Carolina Battle of Legareville Siege of Petersburg Jordan’s Farm (June 15, 1864) Taylor's Farm Battle of Sayler's Creek Battle of the Crater Appomattox Campaign Rosters:
The roster of this unit contains the names of 1905 men.
Company A (The York River Rifles)
Company B (R. C. Kerr's Company) - Jackson, Mississippi
Company C (The King and Queen Minute Men)- King and Queen County
Company D (Captain Alexander James' Company) - Mathews County
Company E (The Lincoln Hunters)
Company F (The Gloucester Invincibles)
Company G (The Clifton Guards) - King and Queen County
Company H (The King and Queen Guards) - King and Queen County
Company I (The Jackson Grays) - King and Queen County
Company K (The Gloucester Grays) Bibliography for Research:
Crute, Joseph Units of the Confederate States Army Midlothian, VA: Derwent Books, 1987. Concise summary of the units service.
Brock, R. A. The Appomattox Roster. Cartersville, GA: Eastern Digital Resources, 1998. Originally published as Volume 15 of the Southern Historical Society Papers in 1887 by The Society, Richmond, VA. This book contains 56,000 names of men who surrendered at Appomattox. It shows the mans unit of service and some additional notes.
Rigdon, John C. - EditorCivil War Soldiers Service Records - Virginia. 2012. Davenport, IA Eastern Digital Resources.
Confederate Military History, Extended Edition. Vol. 4: Virginia. Cartersville, GA: Eastern Digital Resources, 1998. 1295 p. E484C65.1987v4. Contains numerous, scattered references to Virginia units.